Tag Archives: donated goods

Your Used Items Help Change Lives!

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Many of you have been faithfully donating your gently used items to The Hope Center for years upon years. From clothing for the whole family, to purses, jewelry, toys, coats, shoes, books, housewares, furniture, and basically anything you can think of, our Donation Center has been a hub of activity sorting through all these wonderful donated items. Once the items are sorted and priced they go to one of our two Thrift Stores in the area where shoppers looking for great deals find quality used items without breaking their budget. Some of our neediest neighbors can even go “shopping” for items for free through our Community Assistance voucher program.

But the sales from items donated play a much larger role in our ministry. The money generated from sales of these items help to pay the bills for The Hope Center to keep our facilities open 24/7 and our programs and services free for our neighbors in need!

So we are beyond thankful and appreciative for all the items donated by each of you. The value of your donated items cannot truly be measured on earth. Your donated shirts, plates, VHS tapes, couches, etc. have helped thousands of people in so many life saving ways since 1955. Thank you for caring and sharing with your community!

As you prepare to donate your gently used items in the future please note that our Donation Center dock is CLOSED every Wednesday and Sunday along with all major holidays.

Our Donation Center dock is located at the back of our parking lot at 215 W. Church St. We will gladly accept your gently used items during our operating hours. For more info about donations please visithagerstownhopecenter.com/in-kind-gifts

We’re always looking for volunteers to help sort and price donated items in our Donation Center sorting room. If you’ve got some free time during the week and are interested in helping please call us at 301.739.1165 or email volunteer@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Also, if you live in the Hagerstown area and have furniture to donate please call us at 301.739.1165 to schedule a pickup.

Also, we’re still hiring a truck driver! If you, or someone you know, has some extra time during the week and would like some extra income then please contact us immediately. To learn more about this job please http://visithagerstownhopecenter.com/employment…

Spring Cleaning Season is Coming!

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Spring is just a few days away! While all the snow this winter had its pretty moments, we’re definitely excited about seeing flowers and trees blooming and all the beautiful colors of spring.

And with the arrival of spring comes a favorite part of the season: spring cleaning! As you begin the process of cleaning out your house and even redecorating keep us in mind!

Your donation of gently used items like clothing, shoes, housewares, decorations, toys, books, accessories, craft items, linens, and furniture can become a huge asset to helping people in need in our community!

And right now our Thrift Stores are in need of furniture donations. If you are remodeling your house or just have gently used furniture to get rid of we’re happy to take it off your hands! And if you’re in the Hagerstown area we can even come and pick up your gently used furniture! To learn more about our furniture donation pick up or to schedule a time please call 301.739.1165.

Proceeds generated from sales in our two Thrift Stores (Hagerstown & Chambersburg) help to fund the many programs and services to neighbors in need for free. When you donate your items you are helping to give hope to thousands of people in our area!

And for neighbors who are in desperate need, your donated goods can be given for free in our voucher program. The voucher program helps individuals and families in dire need receive free clothing and more.

So as you clean out your closets, redecorate your living room, or go through the boxes in your basement think of how your items can provide hope for your community! To donate items please drop off at our donation drop dock at the back of our parking lot on 215 W. Church St in Hagerstown. Our Donation Center is open M-Sat from 9am – 4pm. To learn about donating gently used items please click here: In-kind Gifts | hagerstownhopecenter

To receive a tax-deductible receipt for your donations, please provide an itemized list along with your name and address and the date you dropped off the donation. Your itemized list may be dropped off at our Hagerstown Thrift Store or our Administrative Office during business hours.

If you’d like to talk to someone about donations or the tax-deductible receipt, our Thrift Stores, or any of the other programs and services at The Hope Center please call 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Woohoo We’re REOPENING!

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At 9:30 this morning we reopened our Hagerstown Thrift Store almost 2 months to the day that we closed it. We’re so happy to be back and we’ve missed all of you so much! COVID-19 re THRIFT info card-001Please note that our Thrift Store will be open with adjusted hours from 9:30am – 4pm Mon – Sat and our Chambersburg Thrift Store is still currently closed. After this initial reopening time we will return to our normal schedule at our Hagerstown location. For the safety of our staff and other customers, a mask must be worn when shopping at our Thrift Store along with practicing safe social distancing.

And at 9am tomorrow (Tuesday, May 19th) our Donation Center will reopen for donation of your gently used items! We know many of you have been busy cleaning out closets, COVID-19 re DONATE info card_2-001basements, garages, and reorganizing your house during the stay-at-home order so we’re very excited to see all the wonderful treasures you’ve bagged and boxed for donation! Before donating please take a minute to read over our list of items we generally can & cannot accept for donation by clicking this link: https://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com/in-kind-gifts

Until further notice our Donation Center will be open Tues – Sat 9am – 2pm. We do ask that upon arrival at the donation dock that you please stay in your car. Our dock attendants are happy remove your donated items for you. Also if you’re interacting with our staff please remember to wear a mask.

We’re not sure what tomorrow will look like so please be patient with us as there may be a backup for donating items. And remember, our donation dock will be open the rest of the week so you can always stop by another day to drop off your items! As of this time we are not operating our donation truck for at home pickup of donated items. We are sorry for any inconvenience and we’ll be sure to update you once we are able to start scheduling pickups again.

If you have any questions or concerns about our Donation Center or our Hagerstown Thrift Store please call us at 301.739.1165 or email us at info@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

 

More Than Just a Thrift Store

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by Aimee Izer

IMG_2324Since becoming store manager I have come to realize that The Hope Center Thrift Store is for everyone in the community. I used to think this was a place for only those whose budget was very limited. Boy, was I mistaken. God calls all of us to manage our money and to be good stewards of what He has given us.

The Hope Center Thrift Store is just the place to start. Not only are you able to bring us your gently used or new items that you may no longer need, but it is the place to start to look for those items that you do need. You may be surprised at what you may find, from clothing to housewares, toys, games, puzzles, furniture, decorations, to cosmetic, jewelry and so much more. We have it all.

There are lots of things that you will find that you can repurpose and reuse. Like a dresser that with a little TLC becomes a coffee bar or a piece of pottery that you turn into a bird bath, there is no limit to the things you can do. The Hope Center Thrift Stores are a treasure trove of unique and amazing finds.

Yes, we are a place for those who are struggling financially, and we love helping those in need, it is our purpose and mission. So please keep this in mind: all money taken in by the Thrift Stores goes right back into all the ministries of The Hope Center. As you can see, not only do your donations greatly help, your patronage to the store helps as well.

I encourage you to come to our Thrift Stores and look at what we have; it’s new almost every day. Then when you see all the great finds, tell your friends and family so they too can see what a treasure our Thrift Stores really are.

God is so good, and you may think shopping at the Thrift Store is no big deal, but let me tell you many people will be shown the love of Christ and His gift of salvation through your donations and purchases at The Hope Center Thrift Stores.

 

We have two convenient Thrift Store locations for your shopping pleasure: Hagerstown (corner of Walnut and Church Streets with free parking on our lot off of Church St) and Chambersburg at 64 S. Main Street. For more information about our Thrift Stores please visit https://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com/thrift-store

Aimee Izer is manager of our Sorting Department and Thrift Stores. In addition to all she does at The Hope Center she also spends her time reading, gardening, painting, and hanging out with her family. She is happily married for 26 years to her best friend, Terry, and is the mother of 4 boys and the proud grandmother of 4. She attends Evangel Baptist Church in Hagerstown. 

Thank You, Eaton of Williamsport!!

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Recently the awesome employees at Eaton in Williamsport had a community drive to collect various items for our residents and guests. DSC_0741

They collected things like socks, washcloths, food, toothpaste, brushes, and other personal care items.

We want to send out a huge THANK YOU to the employees at Eaton, and especially, Jamie, Judy, and Bea who organized the donation drive and also Maddi for reaching out to us.

DSC_0734We are so thankful for this much needed donation to The Hope Center! While food donations are important and much needed, we also often need things like personal care items, medicines, pillows, towels, washcloths and the such. With the men who are residents in our 13-month program, Foundations Life Recovery, as well as the hundreds of transient/homeless who seek shelter every night of the year, we go through a lot of personal care items. And we also gladly hand out personal care items to people in the community who are in need. So receiving these items is such a huge blessing to our program.

Thank you again to everyone at Eaton in Williamsport who was a part of this donation drive!

If you, your place of employment, civic club, church, scout troop, or another organization want to host a food or personal care drive like Eaton then please contact us. We feed thousands of people each year and give out personal care items just as often to anyone in our community in need. These donations help us keep our costs down so we can continue to provide all services free of charge for all guests and residents – especially since we take no government funding or tax money. A tub of toothpaste, a pair of socks, and a jar of peanut butter may not seem like much but they can make the difference in the lives of a needy neighbor more than you will ever know.

To learn more visit http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com. To talk to someone about donating please call 301.739.1165 or email hagerstownrescue@verizon.net

 

It’s Finally Time for Some Spring Cleaning!

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For a time it seemed like winter would never end! But those April showers helped to bring May flowers and some warmer weather. It’s always such a joy to watch the earth come back to life and to hear all the birds singing and enjoying the warmer temperatures.

And with the arrival of spring comes the annual tradition: spring cleaning. As you start to go through your house, room by room, getting rid of unnecessary items, please keep DSC_0805us in mind! With two Thrift Stores (Hagerstown & Chambersburg), we always welcome your gently used clothing, shoes, furniture, jewelry, housewares, and more. Sales generated in our Thrift Stores help to underwrite the cost of all of our programs and services so that we can continue to provide for our neighbors in need at no cost to them or the taxpayer.

If you are interested in donating various items to The Hope Center, here is some info you should know:

Furniture – accepted at the rear of the Thrift Store (central parking lot off of Church St) from 9AM – 4:30PM Monday – Saturday. Please do not leave items on the dock unattended, especially after business hours.

Furniture Items Accepted– beds (frames, headboards, footboards, mattresses* & box springs), couches, upholstered* chairs, dining tables and chairs, small tables (end tables & coffee tables), desks and chairs and dressers. We also accept rugs, bicycles, exercise equipment, wheelchairs and other handicap equipment.
*We cannot accept mattresses or upholstered furniture that is torn, stained or covered in pet hair.

DSC_0888Clothing & Miscellaneous – items accepted at the rear of the parking lot Monday – Saturday from approximately 8:30AM – 4:30PM (between 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM there is no assistance to unload vehicle. You may still drop off items but if you require assistance please come before or after.) Please do not leave items unattended on the dock after business hours.

Items NOT Accepted– wet/soiled clothing, computers, floor model televisions (we do take flat screen TV’s as long as they work), floor model stereos, office telephones (multiple line phones) refrigerators and freezers, washers and dryers, dishwashers, stoves, sinks and toilets, large wooden or metal desks (office), upright pianos, large organs, cribs & car seats (due to government regulations for resale), waterbed mattresses or frames and used ceiling/electric fixtures.

We accept corrugated cardboard at our Baling Facility Monday – Friday from 8:30AM – 11:30AM and 12:30 PM-1:30PM and on Saturday from 8:30AM – 11:30AM.

If you have items to donate that are not listed or you have questions about certain items, please call 301.739.1165 or email hagerstownrescue@verizon.net. We do have a truck that can pick-up your items. Each day our truck covers a specific area of town. If you’d like to schedule a pick-up, please call 301.739.1165 to get more details. You can quickly learn more about donating your gently used items here: https://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com/in-kind-gifts

Also, you can get a receipt for tax purposes by making a list of items donated. Please remember to put your name & address on the list!! Your list can be turned in at the Thrift Store or you can get a form to fill out in the Thrift Store. You will receive your tax-deductible receipt by mail in two to three weeks.

Thank you so much for your generous donations to The Hope Center! These items will help families and individuals in your community in many different ways. Go to http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com to learn more about all the various programs and services we provide to people in need in our area.

Welcome, Aimee Izer!

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At the end of 2017, we said goodbye to our Sorting Room Supervisor, Dorcas Black, as she kicked off 2018 with her retirement. Dorcas, daughter of founders, Jim & Ellen Resh, has been a constant part of the ministry at The Hope Center since it’s very beginning. She has had the role of Sorting Room Supervisor since 2009.

As Dorcas prepared for her exit, we obviously had to find someone to fill her shoes and take over the task of keeping our sorting operation running smoothly and effectively. And we needed to find someone who could be mentored by Dorcas before she retired.

After sifting through over a hundred interested applicants, Aimee Izer was chosen to fill the role as Sorting Room Supervisor. As supervisor, Aimee will manage the employees who sort through all the boxes and bags of donated items. These employees also price all items, from housewares, to shoes, clothing, coats, toys, and everything else in our Thrift Stores. Aimee also makes sure that our stores, in Hagerstown & Chambersburg, have the items they need to keep the shelves and racks fully stocked.

Aimee Izer 1We are so happy to have Aimee join the ministry team at The Hope Center and we’re excited to see how God will use her to help us minister to the thousands of people who visit The Hope Center seeking helping.

We asked Aimee to briefly tell us about herself and the journey that brought her to work at The Hope Center:

“Sometimes the Lord encourages us to take a step of faith and trust His leading. That is what happened to me on November, 27th, 2017. After many months of prayer and searching for a new job with no success, the Lord said, “do you trust Me?” I had left my current place of employment without having the security of something else lined up.

The very next day I received an application in the mail from The Hope Center. I had applied for a position online about two weeks or so prior. The application had a note asking that I please complete and return as soon as possible. I was so excited, I immediately prayed and completed the application, dropping it off the next day. 

That afternoon I received a phone call to set up an interview for the following morning. I came in Thursday to meet with Mr. Shank. After a great meeting, I was offered a job as Sorting Room Supervisor. Praise God! He is so good and His timing is always perfect. I only had one week between jobs. 

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be here. I truly believe that God was working and moving to bring me to where I am. I have been given such a great opportunity to continue to bring new ideas to an amazing ministry. I cannot wait to see how the Lord leads and allows me to become a part of The Hope Center. 

Along with working, I am a wife to my amazing husband, Terry, of 25 years. I’m a mom to four awesome sons, mother-in-law to two beautiful ladies, and “Gigi” to my two grandsons.

When I’m not at work, I love being a mom and grandmother, spending as much time with my family as I can. 

I also enjoy gardening, tea, reading, and decorating. I love the warm months of the year and being outside. 

I serve and awesome God who is so faithful to us. He has been challenging me to not just fill myself up with Him, but to pour out what He has given to me. Then he can continue to fill me again.

Proverbs 11:25 says, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”

Want to be a part of this ministry and give Aimee and her Sorting Room team something to do? Just donate your gently used items to us! The proceeds from the sales of your items help to underwrite the operating costs of The Hope Center so we can continue to provide free services to all our guests while also never costing the tax payer a penny. And in addition to store sales, any guest who desperately needs items like shoes, coats, clothing or household items can receive vouchers to receive those much needed items for free. Your donation can help so many different people in so many ways!

To learn more about donating to The Hope Center please visit http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com or call us at 301.739.1165.

Broadfording Church Delivers a New Years Surprise!

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Our community has always been so supportive of our various needs at The Hope Center. And for us to continue all that we do without ever charging our guests or receiving tax funding from the government, we rely on God providing the amazing people in the greater Hagerstown area to support us through financial gifts, volunteer hours served, food donations, gently used clothing, furniture, household items and the such, and prayer.

This Christmas season was a wonderful time again as we witnessed churches, businesses, families, civic clubs, and individuals giving items that are so necessary to our everyday operation. And while little things like jars of peanut butter, pillows, and toothpaste may seem small and trivial on the grand scale, they are absolutely so incredibly important  to the continued success of our programs and services and so valuable to the guests who are in need of assistance in one way or another.

DSC_0445 (2)Recently, Ashley Burkett from Broadfording Church just outside of Hagerstown delivered a load of items collected by the church for The Hope Center. What a great way to kick off 2018!

Ashley, the Outreach Coordinator at Broadfording Church, had read our Twelve Gifts of Christmas post and encouraged her church to help get the various items on our list. And the church delivered! They provided us with new pillows, spaghetti & sauce, cold medication, pain reliever, personal care items, cleaning products, gift cards, peanut butter, laundry detergent, socks, and disinfectant spray!

We are so thankful for Ashley and the generous people of Broadfording Church! We are so happy to have so many wonderful, generous, and caring people in our community and we can’t thank God enough for all the great people He has brought our way to partner with us to keep this ministry open another year! So again, thank you Broadfording Church for the gifts you provided!

The Hope Center started as a rescue mission in an old dance hall on Jail Alley in Hagerstown in 1955. Since our doors first opened there we haven’t shut them. The Hope Center is the oldest continually operating shelter in Hagerstown. And we are able to remain open every day of the year, giving shelter, feeding families, and helping change lives, because of kind people like Ashley & Broadfording Church in our community who come together to provide for the less fortunate. If you would like to learn more about the various programs & services provided at The Hope Center then please visit http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com. If you, or someone you know, is in need of assistance then please call us at 301.739.1165.

If you’re interested in learning more about Broadfording Church please visit http://www.broadfordingchurch.com. The church is located at 13523 Broadfording Church Rd in Hagerstown.